Personal Finance 4 The People

Monday, July 22, 2013

Monday's are Thank God It's Monday with ET The Hip Hop Preacher. This man is the living definition of what Personal Finance 4 The People stands for. He was homeless, now he travels and speaks to hundreds of people. He is so encouraging...perfect to start off this Monday morning...Make The Rest of your Life The Best of your Life!

1. Flash Deal Sites
If you already have several destinations in mind, then check out travel flash sale sites, which can save you hundreds of dollars! Here are a couple to browse through.

2. Check Out Underrated Places
Try up-and-coming cities for some of the best deals. Big cities like New York, Rome, San Francisco, and London are always popular, but other places that may not make the rock-star list often offer you more bang for your buck.

3. Cruise DealsIf you're planning on stopping by a lot of locations, then take a look at some cruise deals. It may be cheaper to travel by boat with an all-inclusive deal. That way, you may be saving on additional airfare, lodging, ground transportation, and meals.

4. Use Your Memberships
Check with your organizations to see what kind of travel discounts they offer. Some to consider include AAA, the AARP, or warehouse clubs like Costco. Get discounts on your flight, hotel, and even your planned activities like visits to amusement parks.

5. Cancel Within 24 Hours
If you change your mind on traveling, then cancel your plane ticket within 24 in order to get your money back without penalties.

6. Price Predictor
Use tools like Bing's Price Predictor feature to see if the ticket price is predicted to drop or rise. The tool even gives a "confidence" percentage in its evaluation for a better gauge of accuracy. A third-party audit has found that the Price Predictor works 75 percent of the time.

7. Book Unpopular Times
It goes without saying that booking unpopular flight times, such as with red-eyes, weekdays, or off-season periods, will garner better prices. Travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays also tends to be cheaper.

8. Use the Right Travel Credit Card Signing up for a credit card that will give you great travel rewards would be worth considering. Before doing so, keep in mind that you should only charge what you can realistically pay off soon.
That said, if you know you can pay off what you owe, then travel reward credit cards will be a neat way of earning free flights and hotel stays. Here are some good options.

9. Currency Exchange
When you're in a foreign country, you can get some of the best currency rates by swiping your credit card or withdrawing money from a local ATM with a debit card.

10. Go City Card
Research to see if the Go City Card will save you money. It's available in nine US cities and lets you visit selected attractions for free for a fee. It's worth getting if the attractions you are planning on visiting are on the Go City Card's list.

11. Buy Your Tickets at the Right Time
The best times to buy your tickets are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. More specifically Tuesday at 3 p.m. EST. Don't buy your tickets on the weekends, as they are the most expensive then.

12. Lock Down Your Seat
If you don't want to commit, some airlines give you the option of holding your seats; Continental lets you hold it for 24 hours and allows you to cancel without penalties. You can also lock down the fare for three or seven days, but it comes with a $5 or $9 fee depending on your chosen time frame.

13. Track the Prices
If you buy your ticket early, then be sure to track it on Yapta.com to see if the price changes. Yapta will send you an email alert when it finds that you can change your ticket without taking a loss on rebooking fees.

14. Book Through the Airline
Oftentimes it's better to book through the airline so you'll be able to to see all the hidden fees that are not necessarily revealed through a booking website. You can also sometimes find deals that are only available on the airline's website.

15. Pick the Right Site
There are some companies like Orbitz that will refund the difference to you if you find a lower rate on a ticket on another site. Research the different travel sites and see which one offers a similar service. After you buy your ticket, keep looking at other sites to see if the ticket price goes down.

16. Check the Hotel Site
Oftentimes, third-party sites don't show many specials that are featured on hotel sites. Check both the hotel and the third-party site before booking the best deal.

17. Airbnb
Fancy a stay with a homey feel? Check out Airbnb.com, a site where individuals rent out their rooms or house to travelers. I found some pretty great deals on the site, with discounted pricing on rooms situated in prime locales. The multiple pictures will give you a good idea of what the rooms look like, and if you're still a bit hesitant, there are plenty user-generated reviews for you to check out.

18. Couch Surfing Want to not spend any money on your lodgings? Explore CouchSurfing.org, a volunteer-based network in which you can crash on someone's couch for free. It's a great little community that may enrich your travel experience, because your couch-surfing pal might show you some of the local sights. What better way to view the city than through the eyes of a local?
Bonus: you might even make a lifelong friend!

19. Show Your Loyalty
Becoming a loyal member of a hotel chain will get you lots of benefits, such as discounted prices, better service, and the ability to collect reward points toward a free hotel stay. And if you play your "I'm a loyal member" card and negotiate, then you can even get a full refund on your money when you cancel your stay. I've had to do that a couple times and saved a ton of money in doing so.
Some of the more famous hotel reward programs include Starwood Preferred Guest, Priority Club, and Hilton HHonors. And there is good news for those who prefer independent hotels. Turns out, there is a growing trend of boutique hotels grouping together to form their own loyalty programs; check out Stash Hotel Rewards and Voila Hotel Rewards.

20. Craigslist
Check out the local Craigslist for short-term vacation rentals, but be careful! People who don't their homework can end up forking over cash to a scammer for a vacation rental and not seeing any of it back. Read these safety tips by Craigslist, and try to have a friend check out the place before you send them money.

21. HostelsTrim off travel costs by staying at a hostel, and spend about $15 to $35 a night. A popular place to find hostels is hihostels.com. Hostels have evolved from their traditional image, and some of the choices on the website even include private rooms for couples, families, or groups of friends.
If you're a first-timer, then be sure to prep yourself before the trip by remembering to bring things like shower slippers and ear plugs.

22. Negotiate Hotel Rates
Don't just call it a night at any price. If you're refraining from making reservations before your trip, then try to negotiate a lower rate for your room when you pull in for the evening. You'll find the most success at accommodations with several noticeable open spaces in the parking lot.

23. Boutique Hotels
Boutique hotels can offer a great price, but be sure to do your research properly, because they can be just as costly and swanky as the higher-end chain hotels. You can check out Orbitz for boutique hotels such as Tablet Hotels, or you can comb through Google search results on your own by using the search terms "boutique hotel [insert city]." Be sure to check out Trip Advisor reviews to see what other people are saying, and if it's in another language, then use Google Translate!

24. Quote Your Price
You can try your luck and opt to blind book on sites like Priceline.com and Hotwire.com and pay for a room in an unknown hotel. The risk is, you won't be able to cancel or change your reservation after you find out which hotel it is.
Do some digging around on betterbidding.com or hoteldealsrevealed.com to see if there are any tips for improving your chances of getting the right hotel. These are forums focused on how to "game" Priceline and Hotwire sites.

25. Sign on to the Computer for Pretrip Activity Savings
Now I assume hope you regularly research prices of flights and hotels before booking, but what about activities? Along with the added perk of looking for reviews to determine whether a particular stop is a tourist trap or worth the money, you can also save money booking "big-ticket" items. Museums, theme parks, and other destinations often offer discounts for activities prebooked online because so many people don't do this and are willing to shell out more cash at the door.
Don't be this person, and thoroughly research your destination and activities. In addition to checking out the tourism board, my favorite place to stop is the website of the local paper or city magazine. Periodicals geared toward locals usually have reviews of newer places and upcoming events — sometimes even discounts, too!

26. Investigate Travel InsuranceYou'll be charged anywhere from four to eight percent of the cost of your trip for insurance, but considering what's at stake, the extra money may be worth it to protect your investment and buy you piece of mind.

27. Get a Cheaper, Well-Researched Hotel Room
Using websites like Priceline could get you half-priced hotel rooms. That being said, shop smart! Playing up the best features with professional photos is the name of any hotel's aesthetics game, but stave off disappointment (and final sticker shock) by asking yourself these questions before booking a room.

29. Want to Do Good? Plan a Volunteer Vacation
Offering a great way to see and experience a different culture, a volunteer vacation can be an especially fulfilling way to spend time off. The concept's not for everyone — no four-star hotels or five-course meals, and there's service work involved, making it less of a "break" — but it can be an affordable way to travel somewhere exotic and truly experience the other location separate from the confines of any resort. Here's a helpful planning guide.

32. Can't Afford It? Postpone and Staycation Instead
If the best deals you find are still too pricey, then opt for a local vacation for now and postpone bigger travel plans for the location's off-season. Instead, use up some of that hard-earned PTO and take a fabulous staycation in your own city.

33. Stay in Neighboring Cities
There's a trend of travelers booking lodgings in the neighboring town of the actual city they are planning to tour. By doing so, you can save up to 40 percent off the usual rate.
But of course there are downsides to that strategy. Staying outside the tourist attractions will mean more time commuting, and you may have to rent a car if there isn't a good local public transportation system. Calculate those costs to see if staying in a neighboring city is worth it.

34. Find the Cheapest Gas for Your Road Trip
A road trip may cost less money than flying, but filling and refilling your tank still isn't cheap. Utilize websites like autos.msn or gasbuddy.com, which track the prices of gas and sort by zip code, in order to find the cheapest place to pump while you're on the road.

35. Redeem Miles Over the Phone
It's more effective to book travel with mileage points over the phone than online because for most airlines, you don't always get access to full inventory of award seats online.

36. Take Care of Your Car
Prepare your car for the road by inflating the tires with air. Filling them up will ultimately save you money on gas. Keeping your lead foot to a minimum will also help you get the most mileage from your tank of gas, and you're less likely to be stuck with a pricey speeding ticket.

37. Estimate Gas Costs Before You Go
When you're budgeting for your excursion, you must consider the inevitable cost of gas. Try using the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator to calculate the cost of your trip. The tool generates its calculations with average regional gas prices and the details you enter, including your starting city, destination, and your vehicle's make, year, and model. Because it uses regional prices, the calculation should be looked at as an estimate, but AAA does update the prices daily.

38. Pack a Cooler
Bring a full cooler along for the ride to save money and your waistline from too much fast food. But you'll need more than a bag of pretzels to get you by. Take ingredients to make sandwiches, containers with cut-up vegetables, fruit that doesn't require refrigeration (like bananas), and plenty of water.

39. Keep Your Receipts
When traveling with friends, it can be tedious to split every expense. If your group doesn't want to bother with exact numbers until the trip is over, then simply designate someone to hold on to all the receipts. That person should write down the name of the friend who paid to make it easier to calculate who owes what at the trip's end.

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28 weeks in, these simple changes should start to become a habit. These are life changes not just to complete the 52 Week Money Challenge. The goal is to change the way you handle your finances and your life.

Challenge Total Week 28 = $406.00

Saving money is hard. It takes discipline and self-control to stick with the plan you developed. This year why not make it easy on yourself?

I am a huge fan of ING (ING has been bought by Capital One and will become Capital One 360. Doesn't look like much will change...). ING lets you automate your savings so you don't have to think about it. The greatest feature is that it takes a couple days to get money transferred back to your checking account. There are a couple ways around this, but not being able to touch the money in your ING accounts is great for medium/long term savings goals.

If you have an ING, or other savings account, simply automate your savings transfers each month according to the chart below and watch the money stack up.

If you don't have a savings account, GET ONE! Not just for this challenge but everyone needs at least one savings account - with an Emergency Fund.

This week 28 should be transferred to your savings account. We are up to $406.00 this year. Things from this point on will start to grow pretty quickly. How are you doing? Any savings light bulbs going off? Have you planned what you are going to do with the money at the end of the year?

Even if you missed weeks 1 through 27, you can still get started today. Deposit $378 into a savings account and you will be caught up.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Monday's are Thank God It's Monday with ET The Hip Hop Preacher. This man is the living definition of what Personal Finance 4 The People stands for. He was homeless, now he travels and speaks to hundreds of people. He is so encouraging...perfect to start off this Monday morning...Make The Rest of your Life The Best of your Life!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Monday's are Thank God It's Monday with ET The Hip Hop Preacher. This man is the living definition of what Personal Finance 4 The People stands for. He was homeless, now he travels and speaks to hundreds of people. He is so encouraging...perfect to start off this Monday morning...Make The Rest of your Life The Best of your Life!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Personal Finance 4 The People is pleased to team with others who are able to share their expertise in various areas. We hope to combine our efforts to bring a greater financial effort inorder to help you reach YOUR Financial Independence. Today's guest post comes to us from Candise Jordan.

Let’s face it with the busy lives we lead today it has become close to impossible to work with a personal trainer. I have pretty much stopped working in person with clients due to both my & my clients busy schedules: school, kids, work, illness, family emergency, car troubles, traffic, travel etc. session after session would get cancelled, money gets wasted, and who wants to lose $$$?

Then I had an “aha” moment. These days you can pretty much do ANYTHING online… work, order food, shop, go to school, so why not workout with a personal trainer online also?

Many people try to save money by joining office gyms or Planet Fitness which offers affordable memberships BUT what they lack is guidance. So you end up wasting time in the gym doing ineffective exercises, bouncing from machine to machine burning limited calories, doing exercises improperly and not getting the most from your workout!

After a month or so of not getting results you eventually quit. Hopefully you didn’t sign a contract because if so then you’re still getting charged and now you’re not even using the gym L

On the other hand with the guidance of a personal trainer you would receive effective personalized workouts based on your goals, your fitness level, and your schedule. You would have someone to both motivate you and hold you accountable. Someone to demonstrate the exercises for you and educate you on the muscles you’re working & why.

The catch is to receive this personalized attention can get quite pricy. The average Personal Training session ranges between $40-$100 per one our session. That can add up quickly!!!

So how do you get guidance without breaking the bank???

You guessed it…. An Online Personal Trainer!

Not one of those cheesy, one size fits all computer generated sites that creates workouts based on minimal personal information and uses national standards. Choose an ACTUAL Certified Knowledgeable Instructor that takes into consideration YOUR TIME, YOUR ABILITY, YOUR GOALS, YOUR EQUIPMENT, YOUR TRAVEL, ETC. A real person to coach you through your workouts, monitors your food & workout logs, hold you accountable and push you towards your health & fitness goals.

You have to be careful because there are a lot of non certified trainers who not only pose as trainers but will recommend supplements & create nutrition plans without any formal training. It gives us passionate trainers a bad name.

So does online personal training really work?

THAT DEPENDS ON YOU!!! After completing a detailed fitness & nutrition assessment I personally create your individualized program. All workouts are efficient using the Latest Scientifically Proven Methods to train your body. Now your job is to FOLLOW THE PROGRAM! Every time you log in a workout it comes straight to my phone so I’m always available to track your workouts, update your workouts, answer questions, etc. If you do not log in I will contact you to see what’s going on & to re-motivate you!!! I have seen EXCELLENT RESULTS!!!!

Is it safe?

Yes, the programs are just as safe as if you were home watching a fitness video. I’m not there to spot your form but you are provided with exercise demonstrations as well as detailed instructions & tips on performing each exercise. You can print the workouts and take it to the gym with you or even watch the routine from your Smartphone. The bonus here is the ONE ON ONE ATTENTION!!! If you have joint problems, limited equipment to no equipment, back problems, etc. I can create the workout for YOU!

The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce): an enlightenment organisation committed to finding innovative practical solutions to today’s social challenges. Through its ideas, research and 27,000-strong Fellowship it seeks to understand and enhance human capability so we can close the gap between today’s reality and people’s hopes for a better world.

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There is a difference between frugal and cheap, I swear there is. Frugal people look for great deals and ways to save oney, cheap people...are just cheap. PopSugar's Smart Living Section lists 44 Tried and Tested Tips For a Frugal Life...

"That thing has been incredible. Budgets ebb and flow. In lean times, it has been great comfort to me knowing that I have "fresh" fruits/veggies in the freezer, for all sorts of uses. Dry goods/pantry items alone get very tiring and redundant. We have at least a few months of food now in the fridge/freezer, deep freezer, and pantry.

"Our tactic now is to buy in bulk and buy on sale. Many fresh foods can be frozen on a cookie sheet, then transferred into a container (diced fruit for smoothies, diced veggies for soups). I usually bake two loaves of bread at a time — freezing the extra one."

"Deli sliced ham cost two or three times as much as a whole ham. Most grocery store delis will slice a whole ham for you.

"A local store had a sale on deli sliced ham for $4 a pound. They were also having a sale on whole hams, $0.99 a pound. The ham weighed about 10 pounds, and I knew we wouldn't be able to eat it all at once. That's OK because cold cuts freeze really well.

"You might consider asking the deli to slice some of the meat into thicker slices for variety. (The ham steaks are great on the grill with some sliced pineapples, half peaches, and bell peppers.)

"If you have a good relationship with the store you could call ahead and have them slice the meat for you for pick up later."

"Before you buy something at a brick-and-mortar store, check Amazon! You can usually find a generic version for much cheaper. The markup for name brands is ridiculous. For instance, I take Loratadine for my allergies. The name brand Claritin costs anywhere from $5 to $10 for 10 pills at my local grocery stores. On Amazon, you can get a bottle of generic Loratadine containing 400 pills for $18! Same active ingredient, for 10 times cheaper."

"Ever since I bought my house and took on a mortgage payment of $800 a month, I have had my bank take $400 out of my paycheck every other week and put it into a separate savings account. Then at the end of the month, I make my mortgage payment directly from that account. I never see the money, so I don't miss it, and there's no way for me to run out of money for my house payment. It makes things so much easier, especially for a habitual overspender like me.

"I've decided to start doing the same for all my bills — figure up how much I pay per month for all my bills, add in some savings, then take half of that amount out of every check so that my entire net salary is 'my' money. Hardly a new and exciting idea, but as somebody who has gotten into trouble in the past by spending money irresponsibly, this has been a great way to keep me from overspending (or at the very least keep me from defaulting on my bills by overspending)."

Pick Your Own Fruits From a Local Orchard

i_forget_my_userids spent $32 to pick her own fruit from a local orchard and managed to get a lot of

bang for her buck. The user picked 10 ears of corn, about four pounds of jalapeños, eight poblanos, and approximately 170 peaches.

The user obviously can't finish the produce before it goes bad, so she will can most of the fruit to use later.

"Hit up a couple of grocery stores in your area or look at flyers. Compare your food staples and see which store is cheaper. Hopefully you'll notice a trend. In my area, I have three grocery stores to choose from: one is overall a lot more expensive, but has a lot of unique and hard-to-find items; the second is expensive, but has a good selection of produce and meats; the third one is cheaper overall, but lacks some items. I usually shop on my way home from work, hitting the cheap store first, getting everything I can, then hitting the midpriced store the next day on my way home for the odd item I can't get.

"What you should be able to do is walk into a store, look at a product, and know what a good price for that product is. If it's a deal, buy it, or buy some extra. I still get caught buying something at one store when I don't know the average price, then realizing at the next store that it's half the price there."

"Instead of spending $500 dollars or more on a new laptop, I bought a Bluetooth keyboard that I can use with my Android smartphone for taking notes. I really have no need for a laptop right now because I can do basically everything on my phone so this is a great money-saver. Also all I have to carry around is a keyboard and maybe some batteries.

". . . I also have Google drive, so it syncs up to my desktop computer at home just in case I lose my phone or it breaks."

Reddit user ErinfromAlbany says:
"Verizon botched my bill. It was $190 and it should have been $90. This is a really obvious overage, but saved me $100 by just looking at the amount and picking up the phone for a 25-minute phone call."

Insulate Your Home to Save on Energy Bills

A commenter on this Reddit thread says:
"You can get space blankets cheap on Amazon. Cheap like maybe a buck and change, and each one will cover two windows.
"Mist the window lightly with plain water on the inside of the glass. Cut a piece of space blanket Mylar maybe a wee bit big and press it against the glass. Work out the wrinkles to your satisfaction and optionally run a box cutter around the edges for a neat fit.
"When Winter comes and you need the solar gain, just peel off the space blanket and fold them for later use.
". . . I can't remember where the heck I got the Bubble Wrap trick, but it's totally awesome, and it is actually the genesis of this tip. Kept me toasty warm last Winter."

"Use the stranger test to reduce impulse purchases: when considering a purchase, picture a stranger offering you [the cash value of the purchase] or the item in question. Which is of greater value you? Which would you choose?"

Keep Your Home Clean

Reddit user ukulelechica says:
"It saves money on cleaning products, because if you keep it clean, you don't have to buy expensive products to cut through all the grime. A simple wipe down with a wet rag will do.
"It saves money at the store, because when my home is clean and organized, I know exactly what I have and don't have so I stopped buying duplicates."

"Ethnic markets sell way more raw produce and meats than your local chain grocery store does. Most grocery stores in America make their money on prepackaged stuff and use their produce departments to "prime" you into feeling hungry and buying something easier. Ethnic markets, on the other hand, serve a clientele that usually have a tighter budget and more mouths to feed. They'll buy more raw ingredients and they'll buy them more often. Therefore, ethnic marts can order more from the supplier and usually get a much better price, since he's got to sell it before it goes bad too."

Maintain Your Clothes to Reduce Visits to the Dry Cleaner

Reddit user fatrob says:
"Every day when you take off your suit, put the jacket on a hanger and place the trousers on the clamp-style hanger (the type that allows you to clamp the bottom and the whole pant hangs down with no fold). This will ensure that you never have to press your trousers between cleanings. Do not wear the garment for at least a day: it will allow for any creases to fall out on their own. Invest in a good umbrella and overcoat, keep your suit dry, you will not get the puckering at the seams.

"Depending on the season, either weekly or every two weeks, I will freshen the suits with Dryel (Walmart sells it at less than $11 for a six pack). Dryel works by 'steaming' the clothes in a nylon bag, leaves a light scent, and removes 99 percent of the stains I have thrown toward it. I will steam no more than two garments at a time (instructions say you can do four). Before steaming, I will use the Dryel sheet and go over any stains I notice to pretreat."

Grow Your Own Food

Reddit user YYYY says:
"Learn to grow . . . food. It is not hard, and you don't need a lot of tools, either. I mostly use a shovel and five-tine fork. I don't plow, till, or weed — because I don't have many weeds."
And if growing your own food seems intimidating or if you don't have a garden, start by growing herbs in your kitchen.

"It only took me about an hour to make a powdered detergent from Borax, washing soda, and bar soap (one cup, one cup, and ½ bar respectively). There are tons of recipes. This is the one I used. The rough cost estimates for me were 900 loads for about $20. Cheapest equivalent was Aldi's detergent at 360 loads for $25."

"I've just started testing the waters of brewing with some one-gallon test batches of apfelwein (apple wine). Ciders and meads don't usually require boiling, so there is less initial equipment to purchase, but even for making beer, after the about $150 initial purchase, your batches will run between $20 and $40 for 50 to 60 bottles of beer that's better than from the store. It's not for everyone, but it's a hobby I'm interested in and will save money in the long run."

Cut Cable TV

Reddit user thefingolfin says:
"Instead of a cable package get a Roku player (about $50 to $60 if you look for a cheap model refurbished or on sale — there are plenty of similar items you could get instead) with your choice of Hulu Plus, Netflix, Amazon prime video . . . I will also buy a HDTV antenna."

Manage Your Personal Finances

Reddit user thefingolfin says:
"Get out of debt, save up a six-month emergency fund, max out an employer-matched 401K plan, then start investing in indexed mutual funds. Make the money you've saved work for you. I think Scott Adam's (Dilbert cartoonist) nine-point plan to personal finance is an easy and clear way that explained the basics tenets of personal finance."

Restore or Build Your Own Furniture

Reddit user thefingolfin says:
"I've recently started getting my feet wet in some DIY projects . . . I build a headboard for our bed for under $50. A friend gave us a large wooden spool that my wife and I are going to convert into a table/bookshelf combo. With a few tools and some time, you can save hundreds of dollars and have the satisfaction of building things yourself."

Exercise Outside of a Gym

Reddit user thefingolfin says:
"Paying for a gym membership, in my opinion, can be a frugal option if it makes you exercise (so many benefits from exercising . . . I need to do it more), but it's very easy and totally free to go for a walk/job/run outside, and from just a monetary perspective, it will save you tons of health care money down the road."

For those who have a good handle on their spending, "use a rewards credit card instead of a debit card. I fully understand this is not a good idea for some people. I could tell you several of my friends who I would specifically recommend to not use a credit card. However, in my situation, where I have great mutual accountability between me and my wife, the $300 sign-up bonus and the one to five percent cash back on purchases has been a nice source of extra money and hasn't increased our spending at all."

Don't Rent a Modem

Reddit user thefingolfin says:
"I will definitely buy a modem (it will cost about $40) instead of renting one for $5 a month."

"While some people need the extra features that Microsoft Office provides (such as Excel . . . can't really get a comparable substitute), it amazes me that many people I know do not take advantage of these free and powerful alternatives to a $100 software package."

Learn How to DIY

Reddit user theinfamousj says:
"Take every single (free or low-cost) class that you can find in your area that offers DIY repair skills. Hit up Home Depot or Lowe's to learn how to tile, so that when that one tile inevitably cracks, you will know exactly how to repair it. Ditto plumbing. Learn to solder so you can fix your electronics. Take a basic sewing course so that you can do basic mending. Bump it up a notch and learn to do your own basic alterations, too, so you can get more use out of a trip to Goodwill. Machines may make sewing easier, but they aren't necessary."

"On the other hand, saving money is kind of like losing weight — if you don't treat yourself occasionally, you're likely to binge and destroy all your hard work. Once you're sure you want/need something and you find a good price, get it!"

Wait Out Luxury Purchases

Reddit user dahvzombie says:
"Sit on all luxury purchases for at least two weeks. Do research, price comparisons, and think heavily about whether you need the thing. People are emotional, and most of us are guilty of impulse buying — wait it out!"

Scour Craigslist

Reddit user boojieboy says:
"Lots of great cheap/free stuff to be found in there. Have a working list of things you're looking for, then continually scan for them. Smartphone CL apps are great for this.
"Then, continually turn over your unnecessary stuff on CL as well. Quickest way to get rid of something large and slightly valuable (like an old chair or something): post it for free on there."

Make a Lifestyle Change

Reddit user poorsoi says:
"I'd like to first say that frugality is a lifestyle, like vegetarianism. The best thing you can do is get used to small adjustments like turning off lights that aren't being used, carpool when possible, compare before buying, and so on."

Use Vinegar

Reddit user WindyJane says:
"Vinegar . . . vinegar everywhere! This is my main thing. Between Murphy's Oil Soap, dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar, I spend less than $10 a year to keep a clean house. Also has laundry uses, as hair treatment, and so much more. Frugal and the air quality in your house improves."
Here are 23 handy uses for vinegar.

"It's often frugal to spend more money on better quality clothing (which isn't necessarily designer!). I bought some expensive work pants, and they still haven't frayed or faded much after seven-plus years of very regular use."

And as for buying quality clothing, here are more tips from 50missioncap:

"I wouldn't really recommend brands or stores, because they can be hit or miss. But here are some tips:

"Stitching: look for loose threads. Look for tighter or more dense stitching. If there is a loose thread, see if it's cheap and thin or thicker. Gently pull on a seam. If it gives, it's not stitched well.

"Fabric: patterns should match (e.g., the stripes on a shirt pocket should line up with the rest of the shirt). Bunch it in your hand for five seconds — it should return to its natural shape with few wrinkles.

Buttons: check for loose buttons.

Be Honest With Friends About Your Budget

Reddit user hntingbears says:
"It's OK to say I can't afford to go/do/see______ to friends/coworkers/family, etc. Be honest about your budget as people will understand. I do it all the time now, and it really helps me to keep from overspending on frivolous things."

Use Less

Reddit user coffeeshopgirl7 says:
"Use less of everything. It's terribly wasteful how much product we as Americans use for everyday tasks. The toothpaste doesn't have to be running down your arm to get your teeth clean. One tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent is sufficient for an average load (or you could make your own for a lot less)."

Start Looking Well in Advance For Big Purchases

Reddit user QueenPigeon says:
"When it comes to big purchases — say, a new car or a big piece of furniture — start looking well in advance. As an example . . . we decided to start the search for a new car. We tossed around all sorts of ideas, colors, makes, models. We scoured Craigslist and talked to friends and family about what they drove. In the end, after taking our sweet time and having extreme patience we found an 4x4 Escape worth over $6,000 and paid $2,000 for it 'cause someone just wanted rid of it."

"I got rid of my car five years ago. I did it when I was still living outside of the city I worked in. My cost to own and operate a vehicle was over $600 a month with car payment, gas, insurance, and maintenance. Now I live in the city and use transit, my bike, and my feet. If I need a car and can't borrow one from a friend, I rent one and still save thousands of dollars a year. Not having a car makes it harder to hop in the car and go spend money when I'm bored."

"Also never pay full price for anything. If you need something, first research the "normal" price then figure out how to get it on sale, coupon, discount store, etc. After researching and taking time on a few things, eventually you'll learn which stores are best for some items, which for others, which to get online vs. in person, etc. Even when grocery shopping, arrange your menu planning around what's in season (it's always cheaper then) and what's on sale. For big-ticket items or planned things like birthday gifts, plan ahead and aim for sale times. You can find lists online of the times of year different things (clothes, electronics) go on their biggest sales and buy them then."

"One thing that has saved us a lot on our electric bill is to bump the thermostat two or three degrees in either direction depending on the season. It's a bit uncomfortable at first, but with a sweater or a glass of ice water, your body can learn to adjust and your pocketbook will thank you."

Dry Your Clothes on a Clothesline

Reddit user coffeeshopgirl7 says:
"Get a clothesline if you don't already have one."

Extend the Life of Your Disposable Razor

Reddit user willco17 says:
"You can extend the life of disposables using your arm. It's like using a strop to smooth out imperfections. More details here."

"When I started, I made small changes monthly and added them in. I think that was the major reason for my success. The best advice I would give to anyone is take two pieces of advice from this topic and add them to your frugal ritual monthly!"

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25 weeks in, these simple changes should start to become a habit. These are life changes not just to complete the 52 Week Money Challenge. The goal is to change the way you handle your finances and your life.

Challenge Total Week 25 = $325.00

Saving money is hard. It takes discipline and self-control to stick with the plan you developed. This year why not make it easy on yourself?

I am a huge fan of ING (ING has been bought by Capital One and will become Capital One 360. Doesn't look like much will change...). ING lets you automate your savings so you don't have to think about it. The greatest feature is that it takes a couple days to get money transferred back to your checking account. There are a couple ways around this, but not being able to touch the money in your ING accounts is great for medium/long term savings goals.

If you have an ING, or other savings account, simply automate your savings transfers each month according to the chart below and watch the money stack up.

If you don't have a savings account, GET ONE! Not just for this challenge but everyone needs at least one savings account - with an Emergency Fund.

This week 25 should be transferred to your savings account. We are up to $325.00 this year. Things from this point on will start to grow pretty quickly. How are you doing? Any savings light bulbs going off? Have you planned what you are going to do with the money at the end of the year?

Even if you missed weeks 1 through 24, you can still get started today. Deposit $300 into a savings account and you will be caught up.